NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor’s plan to take away Ku-ring-gai Council’s planning power for large developments is a blatant and undemocratic grab for power according to Jonathan O’Dea the Liberal Member for Davidson in his speech in NSW Parliament today.
“Wanting to appoint an external panel to develop Ku-ring-gai’s comprehensive Local Environment Plan (LEP) and handle Development Applications (DAs) valued at over $10 million or more than three months old is unacceptable,” Mr O’Dea said.
“It fails to take into account the great strides Council has made in recent years. The current Council under Mayor Nick Ebbeck has essentially met the Government’s requests on planning and development, including completing six town centre plans on time.
“One has to wonder what Mr Sartor hopes to gain from this ruthless exercise of power given that Council has cut median times for processing DAs by 70 per cent from 134 days in 2003 to 38 days in 2007.
“Council has also slashed the number of DAs on hand from well over 1000 in 2003 to just 330 now. There has also been a massive cut in Council’s legal bills for planning issues down from $2.3 million in 2003 to just $970,000 this year.
“There has also been a huge improvement in Council success rate in Land and Environment Court appeals arising from Council’s DA decisions. There were 128 in 2003/04 and only 39 in 2006/07, with the success rate for Council rising from 50.5 per cent to 84 per cent.
“I appeal to Mr Sartor to take his hands off Ku-ring-gai Council’s planning power as it is now doing an admirable job having come from difficult circumstances in times past.
“It is high time Mr Sartor allows locals to make important decisions about what is happening in their own backyard without unduly imposing his will on the community which will favour large developers.
“I call on the Minister to allow a democratically elected Ku-ring-gai Council to continue the good work it is doing under the leadership of Mayor Nick Ebbeck. Council has lifted its game and will continue to do so thus keeping the local in Local Government.
“I also join with other community leaders in encouraging local residents to fight Minister Sartor’s proposed takeover.”
For further information, please call Jonathan O’Dea on 0418 241 500.
